Gintama’s Kondo Isao and the Cup-Rim Figure Craze

Kondo Isao Gintama Ochatomo Series Cup-Rim Figure by Megahouse

What the Ochatomo Series Is

The Ochatomo Series — the name translates loosely as “tea friend” — is a line of miniature PVC figures produced by Megahouse, a toy and figure manufacturer within the Bandai Namco group. Each piece is designed to hang or perch on the rim of a cup, turning a desk drink into a small scene. The format was popularized in Japan around 2012, when a capsule-toy line called Koppu no Fuchiko by Kitan Club became a social media phenomenon — office workers photographed their mugs with tiny figures dangling from the edge, and other manufacturers followed suit with licensed characters. Megahouse brought the same concept to its Gintama range.

This figure shows Kondo Isao with arms crossed, hanging upside-down from the cup’s rim, mouth open with tongue visible — a deliberately comic pose that suits the character well. Unlike shokugan (food toys), Ochatomo figures are standalone character merchandise, not packaged alongside sweets or snacks.

Gintama and Kondo Isao

Gintama is a manga by Hideaki Sorachi, serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump from 2004 to 2019 across 77 volumes. The anime adaptation began on TV Tokyo in 2006 and accumulated more than 300 episodes across multiple runs, with OVAs and films continuing after the manga concluded. The premise places an alternate Edo-period Japan under the rule of alien conquerors called Amanto, and the series mixes samurai drama, science fiction, and relentless comedy — often within the same scene.

Kondo Isao is the commander of the Shinsengumi, the story’s shogunate police force. He is a comic reimagining of the historical Shinsengumi leader Kondo Isami, recognizable by his dark complexion, heavy brow, and thick black beard — features that earn him the running nickname “gorilla” throughout the series. Beneath the comedy, he is written as deeply loyal and warm-hearted, and his one-sided infatuation with a character named Otae is a long-running gag spanning the entire series. Alongside Hijikata Toshiro and Okita Sougo, he forms a Shinsengumi trio with consistent screen time and genuine story weight — not a background character, but a core part of the ensemble.

Kondo as a Collectible Subject

Gintama has a substantial international following, reaching global audiences through Crunchyroll and VIZ Media’s English-language manga releases. Within that fan base, Kondo is a well-loved figure, but standalone merchandise centered specifically on him — rather than protagonist Gintoki or the frequently featured Hijikata — is relatively uncommon compared to what the franchise’s more prominent faces have received. A dedicated Kondo figure addresses something general merchandise runs often skip.

The Ochatomo format also carries its own distinct appeal: rather than a figure that simply stands on a shelf, it is designed to interact with an everyday object. That quality — a character actively occupying a space in daily life — is part of what made the cup-rim concept resonate in Japan and why it photographs clearly regardless of a viewer’s familiarity with the source material. Figures in this line were produced primarily for the Japanese domestic market, meaning they see limited circulation through standard international retail.